Single-tank vacuum cleaning apparatus.



J. S. THURMAN;

SINGLE TANK VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1908 Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

J. S. THURMAN. SINGLE TANK VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLIOA'IION FILED MAR. 2, 1908.

956 23 1 Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. MAN, citizen of the United States, and resi- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m: srno'rnnn muamn, or sr, Louis, 'mssounr.

SINGLE-TANK VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jolzns'rno'rrmn Timudent of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single-Tank Vacuum. Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatlon containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

- My invention relates to a cleaning apparatus to be located in buildings, and utilizing vacuum as a medium for creating a suction of air through tubes for carrying away the dust and 0t er foreign matter, and which system requires but a single tank, which performs the function of a dust chamber and a,

vacuum tank.

In vacuum cleaning systems to which my invention relates, what is generally known as the wetand dry tank system 'is employed; and in this latter system, it is necessary to use two tanks and to connect one tank .with a suitable source of water supply and.

to the sewer, or other outlet, which connections are not alwa principal object o my invention to do away with the nmemity or employment of the two vtanks, and to utilize but a single tank, in

which is located a suitable device which thoroughly filters all the dust from the air passing through the cleaning a paratus, thus preventing the escape of any 0? into the suction pipe, or other exhausting appliance used in connection with thesystem.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement ofparts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of my im roved apparatus installed in a building, an showing the suction line leading from the rooms of the building .to the single tank, and also showing a motor driven suctionpum for creating the vacuum in the apparatus; ig. 2 is avertical sectiontaken throu h the center and dust chamber; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3.-3 of Fig. 2. Referring by numerals to the accom anying drawings :-1 designates the com ined vacuum tank and dust chamber, which ispreferably constructed of sheet metal, 0 lindrical in form, closed at its upper end y a top of which is 010 ing downward from the 0 available; and it is the the dust f p ifi on mm mm. Patented Apr. 26,1910. Application filed March 2, 190's.- seiiarno. 418,812..

spout or hopper 3, which latter is rovided witha door 4, which, when close is rfectly air' tight. This tank is sup orte on suitable legs 5, and is ordinarily coated in the basement, or on the lower floor of a building, adjacent a suction pump 6, or similar device.

Formed integral with the center of the plate 2 is a verticall dis osed rin 7, the sod; an formed integral with the top of the plate, to the'rear of this ring, is a housing 8, in which is formed a chamber 9. Seated in the plate 2, and leadamber 9, within the tank 1, is a tube 10, open atboth ends.

plate 2, and closed at its lower end, by a 'The dust filter 11, which located in the tank 1, is in the form of a sack, the lower end of which is closed, and which sack is preferablyformed of woven fabric, such as heavy wire rings 12, and alternately arranged between these rlngs and on the outside of the sack is a series of smaller rings 13, thus giving the circular wall of the sack a ribbed or corrugated form and creating and maintaining a maximum amount of area of filtering surface in the comparatively short space between the lower end of the r' 7 and .the lower end of the tube 10, to which tube the .lowerortion of the dust filter is fixed.

Lea ing from the upper portion of the ring 7 to the suction pump, or other air exhausting appliance, is a pipe 14.

Leading from the chamber 9 upward into the building is a combined suction and dust conveying pipe .15, provided with a dust display glass15"; and connected to said pipe 15, at various oints throughout the bullding are inlet va ves 16, to whlch may attached suction hose, which latter carry cleaning tools.

The operation of the cleaning apparatus is as follows: The suction pump 6 be ng operated withdraws the air from the p1pe 14, tank 1, and pipe 15, thereby creatlng a partialvacuum m said parts, the degree of which vacuum can be readily ascertained by means of a vacuum gage A, connected at any convenient point on the tank 1; and

when a flexible tube carryinga cleaningtool is connected to one of said valves 16 and said valve is opened, air is sucked through the flexible tube, through the pipe 15, into the chamber 9, throu h the tube '10, to the tank 1, and from ence said air passes through the dust filter 11, and through the pipe 14:,to1 the pump or exhauster 6. The dust carried by the air passing through the tank 1 lodges upon the surface of the sack 11 as the air is drawn through the minute interstices in the wall of the sack, and thus sity of employing two tanks, or a wet and dry tank system, and the water connections thereto, is doneaway with; and the cleaning operation is very quickly and efliciently performed with a minimum expenditure of power required to create the necessary vacuum.

I claim v 4 1. In a vacuum cleaninga paratus, a receptacle, a removable cover or said receptacle, achamber formed in said cover, said chamber bein surrounded by a downwardly projecting wa l, a filter mounted on and depending rom and outside of said wall and terminating a suitable distance above the bottom of said receptacle, a ipe leading from said chamber to a suitab e exhauster a pipe, one end of which is secured to said removable cover and in suitable. connection with a suction hose and the other end projecting below the filter, said ipe forming a distlnct passage-way for the ust-laden air two subscribin from the time it enters the receptacle until it reaches a position below the closed bottom of said filter.

- 2. Ina vacuum cleanin ceptacle, a chamber form in-t e upper portion of said receptacle, said chamber being surrounded by a downward-1y rojecting wall, a filter mounted on and epending from and outside of said wall and terminatin a suitable distance above the bottom of sand rece tacle, a pipe in direct communication wit and leading from said chamber to a suitable exhauster, a pipe mounted within said casing, one end of which is in suitable connection with asuction hose and the other end thereof projecting below the filter, said pi e forming a distinct passagewa' for. con noting the dust-laden air in a de ite direction from the time it enters the rece tacle until it reaches a position below the ottom of the filter.

3. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, a rece tacle having an inlet and outlet, the said in ct being in suitable communication with the suction hose and the outlet in suitable communication with an exhauster, a filter positioned within the rece tacle and proecting a suitable distance om the bottom thereof, a pipe, one end of which is in communication with the inlet and the other end thereof extending below the filter, said ipe forming a distinct passage-way for the ustladen air as it enters the receptacle and confining and conductin the same in a definite direction to a point elow the filter and diagonally opposite the outlet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of witnesses. JOHN TROTHER THURMAN. Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE.

ap aratus, a re- 

